In Wicca, the phases of the moon represent a different aspect of the Goddess, Witches use these phases to time their rituals and magic as they will be most attuned at this time. As you all know, the moon has a large role to play in the nature of our Earth. It influences the tides and even us, as we are mostly made up of water. For that reason, there will be monthly fluctuations in energies and concentration. Below I have listed different phases of the moon and the Goddess they relate to.
New Moon - The first moon of the cycle relates to the Goddess in her maiden aspect, this is the time for her to learn new skills. So for us we should start fresh and rejuvenate. You can cast any spells related to health, self-improvement, beauty and luck.
Waxing Moon - This is the period of time between the New Moon and Full Moon. Some believe it symbolizes the Goddess in the form of lover, this is the time for her to be assertive and adventurous. The spells you can cast should are centred around growth, whether it relates to fertility, healing, friendship or courage.
Full Moon - Magic and nature is at its most powerful during a Full Moon, the Goddess is in the form of Mother at this time, so the Goddess is at her most compassionate, nurturing and creative. The spells to cast should be related to fertility, love, romance, psychic abilities and artistic projects.
Waning Moon - As the moon is disappearing in the sky, this is the time for removing things from your life. The Goddess is in the form of Grandmother, this is the time for her to retreat and collect up her knowledge. The spells to cast during this time can relate to banishing bad relationships, bad habits and addictions.
Dark Moon - When the Moon is invisible in the sky, the Goddess is in the aspect of Wise Woman, at this time she is all wise and presides over death. It is thought that no magic should be performed during a Dark Moon, as the energies that you require to be attuned are not there. This doesn't have to be true, but I do believe that feeling the Moon's power does influence the workings of your magic.
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Monday, 16 May 2011
Sabbats and the Wheel of the year
There are eight seasonal festivals and thirteen full moons. Over the year you can create eight Seasonal rites, this way you feel harmonized with nature and the Divine. Each festival can be dedicated to a specific God or Goddess, they each have their own individual rituals and they are great ways to celebrate the Seasons with the ones you love. Below I have listed the Seasonal festivals starting with the first of the year.
Samhain (31st October) - Also known as Halloween, Samhain is the most important Sabbat of the Witch's year. It marks the beginning and end of the Wheel of the year. The time when the Goddess returns as the Grandmother, she is past her bearing time but she can still pass on her wisdom through Spirit; for that reason, Samhain is a perfect time for you to practice your Divination skills.
In the Celtic calender, Samhain is considered to be a day outside the normal year, when a veil between the worlds of the living and dead were thinnest. For this reason, Samhain is also a day to commemorate you Loved ones, however, we do not summon the Spirits as it is not right to disturb the peace of those that have gone.
It is traditional to light a candle in the window, to welcome home the spirits and repel the bad ones. Another tradition is to honour the Horned one and go on 'The Wild Hunt'. The Wild Hunt is when the Horned one collects up lost souls, some covens enact the Hunt by setting a course and running though the woods.
Yule (21st December) - Yule marks the Winter Solstice, days begin to lengthen and the rebirth of the sun is celebrated. It is traditional to bring evergreen plants into the house, to give a reminder of life returning. Holly represents the God and Goddess as the berries signify the Mother returning and the green leaves symbolize the Holly King, he reigns until this time. On Yule, it is traditional to make a Yule log, this is not the eating kind. The Yule log is a wooden log with candles lit inside it, each member of the family would light one and express a wish for the oncoming Season.
Imbolg (2nd February) - The first signs of Spring are appearing at this time, it signifies the return of the Goddess as the Maiden and the God is reborn as a young man. Imbolg means 'in belly', which can be interpreted to mean the land and animals are pregnant. Now can be a good time to plant seeds in your garden.
Oestara (21st March) Oestara marks the Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are equal, it is also the time for balance and for throwing out the old to bring in the new. This Sabbat is celebrated as a Spring Festival, as you can see the leaves, first buds and shoots of the corn. Oestara is also a brilliant time for 'Spring cleaning'
Beltane (1st May) - Beltane is the second most important Witch's festival, it is the marriage of the God and Goddess, the Goddess becomes the Mother and the God returns to reign beside her. Again, it is a day when the veil between our worlds are thin, so be very careful when working magic at this time, as the spirits are at their most mischievous and your results will not be as accurate. Due to the Great Marriage, this festival is also linked to fertility. Traditionally at a May Day festival, you would find a partner if you did not have one. Beltane is a time for Witches to Handfast (get married), they would make their promises to eachother, a gold and silver cord is fastened around their hands to symbolize their union.
Litha (21st June) - Litha marks the Summer Solstice, it represents the height of the Sun Kings power, after this day his power decreases as the days shorten. Now is a good time to have an outdoor barbecue or picnic with your family, as the hot and green days are at their most delightful. The Goddess is still in her phase of the Mother, with the coming harvest she is full of promise.
Lammas (1st August) - The harvest is brought in, this festival is often related to sacrifice and death as we have to repay what we have been given. A great feast would be made with the new harvest to celebrate the blessing of the land. Small cakes would be made in the shape of men to honour the Corn King, this is the origin of the Gingerbread man. Bread can also be made in the shape of a sheaf of wheat, this is the Lammas bread. Lammas is a good time for considering the positives in your life.
Madron (21st September) - Madron marks the Autumn Equinox, day and night are equal and again this is the time for balance. Madron is also at its height of Harvest, it is the time for returning things to the way they should be. This is a time for forgiveness and to make up for regrets, it is the festival of Healing.
And so the Sabbats continue on to Samhain, that is the Wheel of the Year.
Samhain (31st October) - Also known as Halloween, Samhain is the most important Sabbat of the Witch's year. It marks the beginning and end of the Wheel of the year. The time when the Goddess returns as the Grandmother, she is past her bearing time but she can still pass on her wisdom through Spirit; for that reason, Samhain is a perfect time for you to practice your Divination skills.
In the Celtic calender, Samhain is considered to be a day outside the normal year, when a veil between the worlds of the living and dead were thinnest. For this reason, Samhain is also a day to commemorate you Loved ones, however, we do not summon the Spirits as it is not right to disturb the peace of those that have gone.
It is traditional to light a candle in the window, to welcome home the spirits and repel the bad ones. Another tradition is to honour the Horned one and go on 'The Wild Hunt'. The Wild Hunt is when the Horned one collects up lost souls, some covens enact the Hunt by setting a course and running though the woods.
Yule (21st December) - Yule marks the Winter Solstice, days begin to lengthen and the rebirth of the sun is celebrated. It is traditional to bring evergreen plants into the house, to give a reminder of life returning. Holly represents the God and Goddess as the berries signify the Mother returning and the green leaves symbolize the Holly King, he reigns until this time. On Yule, it is traditional to make a Yule log, this is not the eating kind. The Yule log is a wooden log with candles lit inside it, each member of the family would light one and express a wish for the oncoming Season.
Imbolg (2nd February) - The first signs of Spring are appearing at this time, it signifies the return of the Goddess as the Maiden and the God is reborn as a young man. Imbolg means 'in belly', which can be interpreted to mean the land and animals are pregnant. Now can be a good time to plant seeds in your garden.
Oestara (21st March) Oestara marks the Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are equal, it is also the time for balance and for throwing out the old to bring in the new. This Sabbat is celebrated as a Spring Festival, as you can see the leaves, first buds and shoots of the corn. Oestara is also a brilliant time for 'Spring cleaning'
Beltane (1st May) - Beltane is the second most important Witch's festival, it is the marriage of the God and Goddess, the Goddess becomes the Mother and the God returns to reign beside her. Again, it is a day when the veil between our worlds are thin, so be very careful when working magic at this time, as the spirits are at their most mischievous and your results will not be as accurate. Due to the Great Marriage, this festival is also linked to fertility. Traditionally at a May Day festival, you would find a partner if you did not have one. Beltane is a time for Witches to Handfast (get married), they would make their promises to eachother, a gold and silver cord is fastened around their hands to symbolize their union.
Litha (21st June) - Litha marks the Summer Solstice, it represents the height of the Sun Kings power, after this day his power decreases as the days shorten. Now is a good time to have an outdoor barbecue or picnic with your family, as the hot and green days are at their most delightful. The Goddess is still in her phase of the Mother, with the coming harvest she is full of promise.
Lammas (1st August) - The harvest is brought in, this festival is often related to sacrifice and death as we have to repay what we have been given. A great feast would be made with the new harvest to celebrate the blessing of the land. Small cakes would be made in the shape of men to honour the Corn King, this is the origin of the Gingerbread man. Bread can also be made in the shape of a sheaf of wheat, this is the Lammas bread. Lammas is a good time for considering the positives in your life.
Madron (21st September) - Madron marks the Autumn Equinox, day and night are equal and again this is the time for balance. Madron is also at its height of Harvest, it is the time for returning things to the way they should be. This is a time for forgiveness and to make up for regrets, it is the festival of Healing.
And so the Sabbats continue on to Samhain, that is the Wheel of the Year.
The God and Goddess
In Wicca the divine is both male and female. The God and Goddess appear to everyone in the form that an individual wishes to see them in. In history, there have been many stories of different God and Goddesses from all kinds of cultures. It is easy to think that they are each different deities, but they are actually the same Divine with a different face. It is difficult to list all the God and Goddesses from each culture, but I will list a few that are popular in the Wiccan religion.
The God - The male side to the Divine has often been depicted as the Great Hunter, God of the Forest and Lord of the Animals. He represents life, death and rebirth. This is seen in the cycle of the Seasons. To honour the God, there are yearly festivals for the harvest and Seasons. Below are a list of popular Gods:
Cernunnos - 'The Horned God', he is often depicted with horns or antlers, he is associated with particular animals such as the stag and ram-horned serpent. He has been described as a peaceful God of nature and fruitfulness, but also as the Lord of Wild things. He has Celtic origin and has been referenced to in some form since the earliest times of the Upper Palaeolithic; the first evidence of this is seen in Lascaux Cave in France. Throughout history, there has been reference to the 'Horned one', for example on an archaeological site called Star Carr in England; large amounts of antlers were uncovered, it was thought that the site was used for Seasonal Festivals and the people wore the antlers on their heads. Cernunnos can also go by the name of Herne the hunter, although Herne has his own story, if you are interested in learning more about the Gods please feel free to research.
The Goddess - The triple Goddess or Mother Goddess is a universal deity with a strong Lunar depiction, at different phases of the moon, she is called the maiden, mother and grandmother. She represents nature, fertility, the powers of healing and death. The Goddess has been present since our earliest ancestors, an example would be the 'Venus figurines', their shape and fertility was emphasized because it was essential to the life of the people. The Goddess has an overwhelming number of forms, as does the God throughout human history. She has appeared in the Greek legends as Aphrodite and Persephone. In the Celtic religion, she can be known as The Morrighan and Cerridwen.
Studying both sides to the divine is essential for you to fully understand Wiccan Worship, it may also help you to pick a specific face of the Divine to worship. I find that if you pick one image of the God and Goddess, it makes it easier to picture the Divine in your mind. For example you may choose Cernunnos and Cerridwen. It is your choice entirely, and you may decide to worship a particular face of the Divine for each season or Sabbat.
The God - The male side to the Divine has often been depicted as the Great Hunter, God of the Forest and Lord of the Animals. He represents life, death and rebirth. This is seen in the cycle of the Seasons. To honour the God, there are yearly festivals for the harvest and Seasons. Below are a list of popular Gods:
Cernunnos - 'The Horned God', he is often depicted with horns or antlers, he is associated with particular animals such as the stag and ram-horned serpent. He has been described as a peaceful God of nature and fruitfulness, but also as the Lord of Wild things. He has Celtic origin and has been referenced to in some form since the earliest times of the Upper Palaeolithic; the first evidence of this is seen in Lascaux Cave in France. Throughout history, there has been reference to the 'Horned one', for example on an archaeological site called Star Carr in England; large amounts of antlers were uncovered, it was thought that the site was used for Seasonal Festivals and the people wore the antlers on their heads. Cernunnos can also go by the name of Herne the hunter, although Herne has his own story, if you are interested in learning more about the Gods please feel free to research.
The Goddess - The triple Goddess or Mother Goddess is a universal deity with a strong Lunar depiction, at different phases of the moon, she is called the maiden, mother and grandmother. She represents nature, fertility, the powers of healing and death. The Goddess has been present since our earliest ancestors, an example would be the 'Venus figurines', their shape and fertility was emphasized because it was essential to the life of the people. The Goddess has an overwhelming number of forms, as does the God throughout human history. She has appeared in the Greek legends as Aphrodite and Persephone. In the Celtic religion, she can be known as The Morrighan and Cerridwen.
Studying both sides to the divine is essential for you to fully understand Wiccan Worship, it may also help you to pick a specific face of the Divine to worship. I find that if you pick one image of the God and Goddess, it makes it easier to picture the Divine in your mind. For example you may choose Cernunnos and Cerridwen. It is your choice entirely, and you may decide to worship a particular face of the Divine for each season or Sabbat.
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